Tag: Aaron Glenn

Lions DC Kelvin Sheppard had inexperienced defensive backs ready to challenge Bucs

ALLEN PARK — When linebacker Derrick Barnes was handed a game ball in the locker room after the win over Tampa Bay, he tossed it to Kelvin Sheppard, the defensive coordinator. 

The defense excelled in the 24-9 victory even though they were without most of the starting secondary. Inexperienced defensive backs stepped in big time. They were prepared.

“Guys responded, which we knew they would. The defense played lights out,’’ coach Dan Campbell said. “Give a lot of credit to Kelvin Sheppard. The plan to go against these guys, knowing what we were about to face.”

It was Sheppard who created a plan to go against quarterback Baker Mayfield who had been mentioned as a candidate for NFL MVP — until Monday night.

“Great plan. Hell of a coach. Even though he’s young, we believe in him,’’ cornerback Amik Robertson said. “We believe in him to put us in the right position and that’s what I feel like he did tonight. And he had no doubt in us. He had no doubt in us.”

Sheppard, 37, in his first season as defensive coordinator has made the transition from Aaron Glenn seamless.

“Listen, I just think Shepp has gotten better and better and better. I think he’s gotten more and more comfortable as he’s gone. I feel like he’s got a really good feel of our personnel, what the opponent is trying to do,’’ Campbell said nothing that he’s got a really good staff with him.

Campbell hired Sheppard as outside linebackers coach in 2020 as part of his inaugural coaching team. He coached the linebackers from 2022 to 2024 so was familiar with many of the players.

The LSU product played cornerback for multiple NFL teams including the Lions in 2018. 

‘(Sheppard) knows how to communicate, he understands how to really give them the picture of what we are looking at,’’ Campbell said. “I am really proud of him, but I’m not shocked either. This is what I expected out of Kelvin Sheppard, man. This isn’t surprising. It’s a really good job.”

Campbell mentioned defensive backs CB Arthur Maulet, S Erick Hallett, S Thomas Harper, Nick Whiteside, CB Amik Robertson, CB Rock Ya-Sin, S Loren Strickland, and CB Tre Flowers. 

“None of those guys blinked,’’ Campbell said.

Along with Sheppard, Campbell praised defensive assistant/safeties Jim O’Neil and passing game coordinator/defensive backs Deshea Townsend.

“They had those guys ready to go, and I think they competed, they challenged,’’ Campbell said.

UP NEXT: It’s the Lions bye week. Next game on Sunday, Nov. 2 at Ford Field against the Minnesota Vikings.

Lions GM Brad Holmes will not overreact after playoff loss; does not feel walls closing in

He fully trusts Dan Campbell to hire coordinators who are good fits

Do not look for Lions GM Brad Holmes to make “crazy wholesale changes” after the disappointing loss to the Commanders in the divisional round of the playoffs. He thinks all the pieces are in place moving forward.

“Obviously it sucks, it’s humbling, but no overreaction. There’s nothing else to do but get back to work,’’ Holmes said at his end-of-season press conference on Thursday.

The level-headed GM has routinely said he won’t be a prisoner of the moment and this moment is no different.

“We’ll assess and evolve like we always do every year, we’ll work to improve, but literally there is nothing else to do but get back to work,’’ Holmes said. “That’s what we’ve been saying since Day One, it’s all about the work and that’s what we’ll continue to do.’’

He thought the Lions, whose defense was decimated by a slew of injuries, were very close this season winning 15 games, the NFC North title and earning the No. 1 seed. He’s confident about success next season.

“Nothing is going to alter what our approach has been in terms of trying to continue to improve and keep building. I did think we were very close, obviously felt very good about this season, but fell short. But we’re going to stay committed and stay committed to the process,’’ Holmes said.

He refuses to put a window – of sorts – on how many more years the Lions can contend for a Super Bowl.

“I understand that contrasts come up and stuff happens, but we feel so good about our young core and young nucleus of players and we feel really good about our quarterback (Jared Goff)  and how he’s playing — him having an MVP caliber season this year,’’ Holmes said. “I think all the pieces are in place. I don’t feel walls closing in or a window. And, again, we make an effort to avoid those kind of things.’’

ONE MORE THING

Holmes said they were prepared to lose coordinators Ben Johnson (who signed as head coach with the Bears) and Aaron Glenn (who is headed to the Jets). 

“I have so much respect for the unknown, you can’t know exactly what’s going to happen. Obviously we were prepared to lose those guys, those guys were great coaches. Call it what it is, we were lucky to have both of them this year,’’ Holmes said. “… I have the full faith and trust in Dan (Campbell) to make sure we’re going to have the right people in place in those spots.’’

Lions take the NFC North title and No. 1 seed with 31-9 win over Vikings

Five reasons they were able dominate, starting with defense

DETROIT — Jahmyr Gibbs provided four touchdowns and the Detroit Lions defense frustrated the Minnesota Vikings holding them to just three field goals.

It was a combination that worked to perfection with the Lions topping the Vikings, 31-29, on Sunday night at Ford Field to win the NFC North for the second straight year. And, perhaps more importantly, to earn the NFC’s No. 1 seed which comes with a bye week and home field advantage until the Super Bowl.

The Lions finished the regular season at 15-2 with the Vikings dropping to 14-3. It was the first time in franchise history the Lions won consecutive division titles.

“That’s a good team over there, they’re well coached, a ton of weapons and we were able to contain them and keep them at bay until our offense was able to find our rhythm,’’ coach Dan Campbell said. “Total team effort, started with our defense and took the whole unit.’’

In recent weeks, franchise records were shattered. It’s been a season that diehard fans had just dreamt about. Time to pinch themselves, these Lions are for real. Campbell, who is in his fourth season in Detroit, shares the credit but he and GM Brad Holmes have built this team, starting with a 3-win season in 2021. It reflects Campbell’s gritty personality. 

“I just told them to me, this has been in the making for a while. It takes a special group of guys and I think you had to go through what we’ve been through the last four years, the core of this unit,’’ Campbell said. “Anybody that comes in, they fall in line because that’s what we’re built around, our core. They really delivered for us today. Our playmakers made plays when we needed it.’’

Five of the reasons the Lions won:

ONE: The defense, which was sparked by the return of linebacker Alex Anzalone, came up big from the get-go. The Vikings were 0-for-4 in the red zone with two turnovers on downs inside the 5-yard line. Remember they won 14 games this season with Sam Darnold having a career year.  “I can’t say enough about our defense, let’s start there. AG (defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn) and this defense, they really controlled that game for us, particularly the first two and a half quarters,’’ Campbell said. “The guys on defense I thought executed exactly the way we had worked and what we had talked about. We were able to apply a lot of pressure and it paid dividends.’’

TWO: Cornerback Amik Robertson also got a game ball. His task most of the night was to defense wide receiver Justin Jefferson, usually a powerhouse. But not on Sunday night. Jefferson was targeted nine times and caught just 3 passes for 54 yards. Campbell said this was the reason they signed Robertson who is in his first season with the Lions. “He’s as competitive as they come,’’ Campbell said.

THREE: The defense, which has so many of its key players out with injuries, has faltered at times but really is a reason the Lions lost just two games. Alex Anzalone’s return after being out seven weeks with a broken forearm was huge. “He’s really our quarterback on defense and he just brings, a lot of confidence, he brings, a lot of energy, he can calm the storms,’’ Campbell said. “To have him back, I thought it was going to take him a minute to work himself back in, It didn’t take long at all and he was back to what he was before he got injured. We gave him a game ball.’’ They didn’t work him back in, he played every defensive snap. Afterward Anzalone said his arm was sore. He’s happy to get the bye week for the rest and to celebrate his son’s birthday on Saturday.

FOUR: Jahmyr Gibbs’ first few runs looked like it might be a tough day for him. But he warmed up, broke through and scored all four of the Lions touchdowns—three rushing and one receiving. “He was big and I felt like he gained steam as the game went on. I thought he got better and better and better. You could really feel it after that last stop we got in the Red Zone, the next carry he just breaks it down the sideline,’’ Campbell said. “He was big for us and we felt like he was going to need to be big for us to win that game. All those guys needed to play well but we felt like that Gibbs could somewhat be the X-factor here and he did and he showed up in a big way in the run game and the pass game.’’

FIVE: Jared Goff kept the offense rolling even when it seemed to stutter a bit in the first half. The Lions took a 10-9 lead at halftime and then the offense started rolling in the third quarter. He threw a pair of interceptions but the defense was able to bail him and the offense out a few times They all worked hand in hand and it showed. “It’s fun, it’s what we talked about when we first got here. Certainly when I first got here was the opportunity you dream about being able to win division championships in the NFC North, and then ultimately win Super Bowls, that’s what’s next for us,’’ Goff said. “This is fun and exciting and we obviously wanted it really bad and we’re going to enjoy the heck out of it, but it’s Step One. In some other world it would have happened a few weeks ago but it happened Week 18.’’ Goff produced his ninth game of the season with a completion percentage of 75.0 percent, passing Tom Brady (8 in 2007) for the most in a season in NFL history.

INJURY UPDATE: CB Terrion Arnold left the game with a foot injury in the first half. Campbell said the X-rays were negative but it was quite tender. Said he’d know more on Monday. 

UP NEXT: The Lions will have a bye week to rest up.